The present invention is generally related to a computer data input tool and, more particularly, is related to an apparatus for providing control of a computer cursor which can be used conveniently and comfortably while resting on a flat work surface or while being held in the user""s hand.
Generally, every computer sold today comes with some type of a cursor control device. The most popular of these devices is the mouse, which has become the ubiquitous symbol of modem computing. Other such devices are the trackball, touchpad, isometric post and navigation dome.
Originally, computers were primarily driven by the user entering text; thus, the cursor control device was secondary to the keyboard. Then, and still today, the keyboard occupied the prominent position at the workstation with the cursor control device laying to the side of the keyboard for convenient intermittent use.
With the advent and introduction of the graphical user interface (GUI), though, today""s computers are driven much more by the cursor control device than ever before. Almost every computer has a GUI operating system, such as Microsoft Windows, MacOS, or Corel Linux, and virtually every computer application is a GUI, as is the World Wide Web (xe2x80x9cWWWxe2x80x9d). Since use of a GUI is heavily dependent upon the xe2x80x9cpointing and clickingxe2x80x9d technique accomplished by a cursor control device (as opposed to merely the entry of text through the keyboard) the importance of cursor control devices to computer use has increased tremendously. In fact, research directed by Peter W. Johnson of the University of California at San Francisco Ergonomics Lab, concluded that for the average user the cursor control device is utilized for one-third to two-thirds of the working time on a computer. However, as discussed below, today""s cursor control devices suffer many deficiencies considering the use now required of them.
Considering each device separately, a mouse is a substantially immobile device, which generally includes a ball that depends from its underside and rests upon a flat work surface. The ball is rotated while in contact with the work surface by movement of the mouse which causes a corresponding movement of the cursor on the computer screen. Because the mouse depends on the flat work surface, the mouse must be used while laying on the desktop.
Being able to use it only on the desktop is a major deficiency. To reach and operate the mouse, the user must lean forward from his or her seated position, bend his or her arm at the elbow, forwardly extend his or her forearm, wrist, and hand and keep this rigid position the entire time the device is being used. Maintaining this xe2x80x9cfrozenxe2x80x9d position for even a short time is uncomfortable, tires the user""s back, and muscles of the shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist and hand, and can ultimately lead to repetitive stress injuries (RSIs). This is particularly true since the mouse is now used for such prolonged periods of time. Also, because of discomfort, users are forced to take frequent breaks, which decreases productivity.
Mice suffer further deficiencies in that they force the user""s hand into an unnatural prone or palm-down position. (See FIG. 1). Furthermore, actuating the buttons on mice causes hand fatigue since the buttons typically require the unnatural downward pressing of the user""s fingers (See FIG. 1), as opposed to the more natural inward flexing of the finger or fingertip. The longer the mouse is used, the more pronounced are its deficiencies.
Another deficiency of mice is that they necessitate a certain amount of available work surface space upon which to move. Also, having to rest the mouse on the desktop is also problematic because the work surface may be at an uncomfortable height for the user.
Mice also typically require mouse pads which are used to cover the desktop to provide a prime surface area over which to move the mouse. Mouse pads are awkward in that they are relatively small and thus limit the space for movement of the mouse. This is particularly problematic as larger screens become popular because the mouse must traverse a greater distance in order to effectuate movement of the cursor across the larger screen. Furthermore, mouse pads tend to wear quickly and gather dust that ends up collecting on the ball and interfering with mouse functions. Mouse pads are also troublesome since they consume space on an already limited desktop and can interfere with placement of the keyboard at the workstation.
In addition to these inherent deficiencies and inadequacies of mice, mice cannot generally be used while being hand held, mainly because the ball is on the underside of the body. In that position, the user cannot easily or comfortably manipulate the ball nor can the buttons, which are on the topside of the mouse, be simultaneously actuated. Also, once pressure is applied to the ball by the user, or once the device is turned at an inverted angler, it recedes into the body of the device, beyond the user"" reach. In short, not only do mice suffer several major deficiencies in comfort, convenience and practicality, but they are also not suitable for hand held use.
A trackball is another type of cursor control device and is somewhat analogous to an upside mouse that houses a ball that protrudes through the top of the trackball body and is manipulated by the user""s fingers, hand or thumb. As with mice, rotation of the ball causes a corresponding movement of the cursor on the computer screen. Trackballs, also like mice, are dependent upon the desktop, thus, the problems associated with mice, discussed above, also exist with trackballs. Namely, since trackballs depend on the desktop, the user must maintain a frozen, rigid position to operate the trackball, thereby increasing the likelihood of feeling pain, discomfort or incurring a RSI particularly during prolonged use. Also, because the user must maintain this position, he or she must take frequent breaks which reduces productivity. Trackballs also require a certain amount of available space on the desktop.
Furthermore, most trackballs are not suitable for hand held use because the bodies and balls are generally too large to be hand held and because the balls and buttons are not aligned such that they could be activated simultaneously.
Some trackballs, though, are intended (though not ideal) for hand held use. However, these trackballs are deficient in that they are not able to be used while laying on the desktop. An attempt to use a hand held trackball, which have been designed similar to television remote controls, while it is laying on the desktop fails for several reasons. First, many of these trackballs have buttons on their underside which, to activate, would require the user""s fingers to wrap around his or her fingers under the device, preventing the device from lying flat on the work surface. Furthermore, even if those devices had buttons on the top, the buttons and the ball would not be aligned for comfortable or convenient operation if laying on the work surface. This problem occurs mainly because the buttons are parallel with one another, as opposed to mirroring the position of the human thumb in relation to other fingers. Moreover, these trackballs are generally not suitable for use on the desktop because during such use the user""s wrist would be forced into an unnatural downward and prone position instead of the preferred neutral position. Other trackball devices meant for hand held use are not suitable for use while resting on the desktop because they are typically too small. Therefore, as can be seen, trackballs which are meant for hand held use suffer a major deficiency in that they are not suitable for use while laying on the desktop.
Another type of cursor control device being used and sold today is a touchpad which is a flat, immobile base having a touch-sensitive membranous sensor pad on its top-surface. When a portion of the pad is touched it either mechanically depresses or registers a change in temperature effected by the user""s finger to sense the location on the pad with which the user made contact. Circuitry within the touchpad translates the sensed location into a command to the computer to control the location of the cursor on the computer screen.
Touchpads, like mice, are dependent upon the desktop. Thus, the deficiencies of mice discussed above apply equally to touchpads. Namely, the user must maintain a rigid, frozen position which causes pain and discomfort and, over an extended period of time, RSI. This is aggravated if the desktop is at an uncomfortable height for the user. Also, with touchpads to activate a button, the user must put unnatural downward pressure with his or her finger, instead of a more natural inward flexing. Likewise, touchpads are not suitable for hand held because they are generally embedded into the keyboard or computer itself. Touchpads are also known to be hypersensitive, thus reacting to environmental influencesxe2x80x94such as moisture from a user""s fingerxe2x80x94causing unintended cursor movement. They also cannot be used while hand held, because the buttons are not aligned to allow for simultaneous use with the pad.
A fourth type of cursor control device is the isometric post. An isometric post is a small force sensing stick, commonly referred to as an xe2x80x9cerasure-head,xe2x80x9d such as IBM""s (copyright) TRACKPOINT(trademark). Isometric posts are typically situated among the buttons of the keyboard. The isometric post is operated by the user applying directional pressure with a single finger on the top of the post causing the transmission of data to the computer to control the cursor on the computer screen.
Isometric posts are also dependent upon the desktop and suffer the same deficiencies as discussed above in connection with mice and touchpads. Isometric posts are likewise not suitable for hand held use as they are typically embedded in the keyboard of laptop computers. Furthermore, they are too small to be hand held and their buttons are not properly aligned for convenient or comfortable use.
An additional cursor control device is a navigation dome, which is a directional button which uses a sensing mechanisms incorporating non-contacting magnetic technology. The sensing mechanism is operated by the user applying directional pressure with a finger. Navigation domes, like mice, touchpads, and isometric posts, are dependent upon the desktop. Thus, all the deficiencies of mice discussed above apply equally to navigation domes. Namely, the user must maintain an uncomfortable position, make an unnatural downward pressing and place his or her hand in an inferior palm down position. All this is aggravated when the desktop is at an uncomfortable height. Furthermore, navigation domes are not suitable for hand held because they generally are embedded into a much larger device which cannot be hand held or have buttons which are not properly aligned with the dome to allow for convenient or comfortable hand held use.
The fact that cursor control devices known in the art are inadequate for modern computer use, especially with GUIs, is also shown by cottage industry of supplemental products meant to ease the aforementioned discomfort and infliction of RSI associated with these devices. Wrist pads and wrist braces, for example, are meant to support the user""s wrist while using the cursor control device, particularly during prolonged operation because of GUIs. Interestingly, use of these supplemental products are now thought to increase the chances of incurring a RSI since they add more pressure to the user""s hand and cause muscle atrophy since the user tends not to use his or her muscles at all while using these products.
Thus, it can be seen that cursor control devices known in the art are generally of two types. One type being those intended for use while they are laying on the desktop, and the other being those intended for hand held use. However, none are convenient or comfortable for both uses.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.
The device of the present invention relates generally to a data input tool and, more specifically, to a device to control a cursor on a computer, receiver or other processing unit, in which the cursor control device can be used conveniently and comfortably while resting on a flat work surface or while being held in the user""s hand. Briefly described, in architecture, the cursor control device is comprised of a body with a shape for fitting in a user hand so a user can operate the cursor control device in hand held and desk-top manners. The body also being comprised of a cursor control, at least one button, and having a control circuit inside the body which is connected to at least one button and the cursor control. The device further having a communication link connectable between said control circuit and a processing unit.